


Stand in the Falling Rain

by Sangerin



Category: Hill Street Blues
Genre: Coming Out, Community: 40fandoms, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-19
Updated: 2013-01-19
Packaged: 2017-11-26 01:15:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/644911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sangerin/pseuds/Sangerin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Any partnership has a shakedown period.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stand in the Falling Rain

'Luce?'

It was the end of their first day. The women's locker room was deserted - there were so few of them, anyway.

'Don't call me that,' snapped Lucy. 'Joe called me Luce.'

Kate nodded, even though it had been a slip of the tongue.

*

Any partnership has a shakedown period. Kate had been brought in from outside the Hill, and knew she was looked upon with suspicion. Lucy was still recovering from Joe Coffey's death, but unwilling to admit how hard it had hit her. McBride and Bates were a partnership that could have worked, given time. Almost everyone on the Hill agreed that it was a great pity that it had ended the way it did.

*

Kate came out to Lucy when a pro named Jackie accused Kate of propositioning her. Kate didn't want Lucy to risk being caught in a lie, and so she trusted her enough to tell Lucy the truth, and watched the blood drain from her partner's shocked face in response. They didn't talk much the next few days, although Kate tried to tell herself it was because they were busy with the case, and fighting Jackie's accusations. But there was a chill, and Lucy was clearly avoiding her.

Kate caught her at the door. Standing on the steps of Hill Street Station, out in the open, she caught Lucy’s elbow. ‘Lucy, are we going to… I guess I thought we could have been friends.’

Lucy shrugged her arm back. ‘Just give me a little time to get used to this. I never… Do you know how many times I’ve been called a lesbian? You’re a cop. Only in my case it’s not true.’

‘Does it matter?’ asked Kate.

‘Yes it matters. To me, it matters.' Lucy pulled her jacket firmly around her. 'It's getting cold out here. I've got to go, Kate.'

Kate knew it sounded like she was begging, but tried once more, anyway. 'Just give me a chance.'

'Give me time, I'll give you a chance.' Lucy zipped up her jacket and walked away, down the steps onto the street.

*

Lucy kept her word; a month later Kate was handed a note by her new Sarge at Midtown. It was Lucy, asking if Kate would meet her for coffee at the end of shift.

The coffee wasn't exactly good, but the conversation was. Lucy had just been assigned a new partner, some woman-crazy Irishman with puppy-dog eyes. Lucy made Kate laugh harder than she'd laughed in months, just with her stories of his eagerness and his attempts at flirting.

Then, 'How's Midtown?'

'Not bad.'

'Had any dates lately?' Lucy asked.

When Lucy said those words, Kate relaxed. Picked up her coffee cup and melted into the conversation.


End file.
